30 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
55? 
A common mode of performing the operation, is to omit the 
notch in the laid branch—but to enter the knife just below a bud, as 
far as the pith, and to make one cut only, by extending the knife 
an inch upwards through the pith, thus cleaving the layer that the 
parts shall not again unite. A little coarse sand, thrown in under 
the cut part of the layer, facilitates its taking root. 
PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS. 
The currant, gooseberry, grape, mulberry, privet, plane or but¬ 
ton wood, some kinds of apples, as the codlins and burknots, 
quince, and many ornamental shrubs, are readily propagated by cut¬ 
tings. So are, of border dowers, the dahlia, rocket, cardinal dow¬ 
er, lichness, foe. Although some of these cuttings are usually ta¬ 
ken off in autumn, winter or spring, and readily strike, yet there 
are others, that, according to Loudon, ought to be taken from the 
mother plant when the growth is most rapid, or when the cutting 
most abounds in sap, in order that, in returning by the bark, it may 
form a callous or protruding ring, of granular substance, between 
the bark and wood, whence the roots proceed. This remark ap¬ 
plies principally to green-house plants. As this callous, or ring of 
spongy matter, is generally best formed in ripened wood, the cut¬ 
ting, when taken from the mother plant, should contain a part of 
the former year, or in plants which grow twice a year, of the wood 
of the former growth. 
The preparation of the cutting depends on, or is guided by this 
principle, that the power of protruding buds or roots, resides chief¬ 
ly, and in most cases entirely, at what are called joints, or at those 
parts where leaves or buds already exist. Hence it is that cuttings 
ought always to be cut across, with the smoothest and soundest 
section possible, at an eye or joint. And as buds are in a more ad¬ 
vanced state in wood somewhat ripened, or fully formed, than in a 
state of formation, this section ought to be made in the growth of 
the preceding season, or as it were in the point between the two 
growths. 
Cuttings need not exceed in length six to twelve inches, should 
ordinarily embrace four or more buds, and the terminal bnds, be¬ 
ing often not well matured, may be cut off. But one, or at. most 
two buds, need be left above the surface of the soil, and in the 
grape these may be covered with loose earth. The short jointed 
wood of the grape is preferable, as it is more indurated, and con¬ 
tains more concentrated food, to produce roots and leaves, than 
long jointed wood. In the currant and gooseberry, if it is desired 
to grow them on single stems, instead of stools, all the buds but 
two or three at the upper extremity should be carefully gouged out 
with a sharp knife. Cuttings of the grape, currant, gooseberry, 
and of most decidious trees and shrubs, may be taken from the mo¬ 
ther plant any time after the fall of the leaf, and before the swell¬ 
ing of the bud in the spring, and may be preserved by being kept 
in a moist cellar, or buried in the earth. In planting, the earth 
should be made perfectly mellow, to enable the young roots to 
shoot freely. The ground should therefore be dug, a narrow trench 
made to insert the cuttings, and the earth pressed well around them 
after they have been put down. 
Large Crops down East. —The Massachusetts Society have 
awarded premiums to John Smith, William Carter, Henry Sprague 
and Payton Williams; the first for growing 88 bushels oats on one 
acre; the second for 58 bushels of barley on an acre; the third for 
50^ do. do.; the fouith for 515bushels potatoes on do., and for 35 
bushels spring wheat on an acre. The Kennebec Society have award¬ 
ed two premiums for corn crops, one amounting to 108, and the 
other to 81 bushels per acre. Until since the establishment of ag¬ 
ricultural societies, our brother Yankees would not believe that such 
crops could be raised any where. 
THE CULTURE OF FLAX, 
Has very much diminished, with the decrease of household manu¬ 
factures, since the establishment of cotton mills, until very little is 
now used in the domestic way. In some districts, however, the 
culture is reviving, for the supply of linen or cordage manufacto¬ 
ries, of which we are advised of two in Rensselaer, one in Lewis, 
and one in Jefferson; and also merely for the seed. This seems 
like killing sheep for their pelts, and throwing away the carcase. 
The fibre of flax is certainly worth saving; and with the new fa¬ 
cilities of rotting, and machinery for cleaning, it is a profitable bu¬ 
siness, as we intend to show in the sequel. Having had questions 
propounded to us upon this head, by a correspondent in Yates, who 
proposes to go extensively into the flax culture for the profit on the 
seed, we will offer some brief remarks upon its cultuie, and give 
some illustrations of its being a profitable culture. 
The soil adapted to flax, is that which contains a large portion 
of vegetable matter, of a loamy qual ty, and withal rather moist, 
though not wet. It- is a great exhauster of the soil, if suffeied to 
mature its seed, but less so if pulled green. 
The best preparation for flax is a green sward, nicely turned over 
in the fall, or early in the spring, and harrowed till the surface is 
perfectly mellow. 
The quantity of seed will depend upon the object of culture. If 
raised for seed only, half a bushel to the acre will suffice; if for the 
lint only, two bushels are sometimes sown; if for both, an interme¬ 
diate quantity will answer best. The less seed, within the limits 
mentioned, the greater will be the product in seed, and less and 
coarser the product in lint. The seed is always sown broadcast, 
and always covered with the harrow. The processes of pulling, 
threshing, foe. are understood by all. If the object is seed, the 
plants must be mature before they are pulled, which is indicated by 
the hardened state of the seed vessels, the yellow color of the 
stems, and the falling off of the leaves. When good ./Lx is want¬ 
ed, pull when the seed has its growth, but not maturity. When 
wanted for the finest fabrics, as cambrics, foe., pull when it begins 
to flower. Sow early in May. 
The product varies from 300 pounds to half a ton of dressed flax 
to the acre, and from six to eighteen bushels of seed. 
The profits of the crop may in some measure be judged of from 
the following facts, which we derive from unquestionable autho¬ 
rity. 
Mr. T. S. Knapp, of Brownville, sowed thirty-seven acres, part¬ 
ly a grass lay, and partly stubble. His profit upon the crop, after 
deducting $3 per acre rent, and his labor, was $400, or about $11 
per acre. 
In 1835, Geo. Brown, esq., of the same place, sowed twenty-five 
acres in flax, and realized a nett profit of nearly $500 from the 
crop. 
In the same year, Maj. Kirby, of the same place, sowed six acres, 
partly upon stubble, and partly upon green sward, with one plough¬ 
ing—half a bushel of seed to the acre. The ground was well stock 
ed with Canada thistles, which throve remarkably; yet notwith¬ 
standing, the six acres produced him 108 bushels 12 pounds seed, 
and seven tons and three-quarters of dressed flax. The proceeds 
of the crop amounted to,.$270 
And the culture, pulling and threshing—the rotting being 
done by the manufacturer—to about. 70 
Leaving a profit of...$200 
or $38J per acre. 
New-Jersey Marl, Peaches, foe.—Marl has been found in 
great quantities in the lower part of New-Jersey, of a peculiar and 
highly enriching quality. A letter to the editor, dated Hights’ 
Town, March 8, says—“I am sorry to inform you, that nearly all 
our peach buds, are killed again, as they were last year. Our re¬ 
gion of country supplies generally the New-York market. It is 
discouraging—we are going into the Mulberry business, our cli¬ 
mate and soil being well adapted to the trees. Our Squancum 
marl will afford a communication for the Cultivator in a short 
time. Professor Rogers says it possesses more potash than two or 
three bushels of undrawn ashes. The lands have risen twenty-fold 
in that part of the county of Monmouth.” Lands have risen twen¬ 
ty fold in consequence of the wonderful provisions which nature 
has made for rendering them fertile, and which man has been too 
indolent, or too unlearned to discover until recently. And nature 
has been thus bountiful every where. Almost every district con¬ 
tains the materials to render the soil productive, if we would search 
them out and apply them. Most of our sandy districts are un¬ 
derlaid with clay marl, more or less rich in carbonate of lime, 
which constitute the very materials, when blended with sand and 
manures, for a good soil. Our correspondent adds, that 120 bu¬ 
shels of Squancum marl is as much as the acre will receive for the 
first dressing. Twenty to 40 loads of blue clay, to the acre, is al¬ 
so a good dressing. The effects of marl are not transitory, like 
those of manure; theii benefits are abiding—they improve the 
